>From:    "F. Scott Giarrocco" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Rehabilitate not break
>... Of course, this method can take some time with the seriously abused
>fear biters.  But, I find that understandable.  Their experience has been
>limited to abuse and cruelty.  It takes time for them to learn that human
>hands can also dispense love and kindness.  I am a firm believer that the
>hands that provide care are never used to deliver harm, cruelty, or injury.
>
>F. Scott Giarrocco
>Jopal Ferret Haven
 
I am in agreement with this post.  From recent experience I might add that I
think there are some fuzzies who will always need to be "handled with care".
I have a rescue girl, Layla, who was given to me by a lady because she was
such a bad biter.  The lady in question tried all she could to rehab her on
her own, but she had two young daughters and was terrified Layla would
severely bite one of them.
 
I got Layla in July of this year, and it took me a good 2-3 months of gentle
reprimanding with time-outs (scolding and scruffing only reaped more biting)
before I could fully trust her not to bite.  I got her to the point where
all I got from her were kisses.  In the past couple of weeks however, I
received two really, really good (?) bites from her...hard enough to draw
blood.  I must say I was able to discern something about Layla that I hadn't
previously observed and now I know one of her "triggers".  The first bite
came while I was lying on the floor playing with another one of the kidz.
He decided to run up my shirt and tunnel in my armpit.  Now I am very
ticklish, so I let out a loud, high pitched shriek.  Layla came running full
tilt out from under the hope chest and lunged at my neck, leaving a bite
that somewhat resembled a vampire bite (coincidentally, it was Halloween
Eve).  The next bite I received was when I was squeezing a squeaky toy.
Instead of letting go of it when Layla tried to grab it I held on and
squeak, squeak, squeaked!  Well, Layla latched onto my wrist and shook her
head and bit me but good.  I really should have observed how upset she was
by the squeaking, but of course I didn't until it was too late.  Now it
appears pretty clear to me that high pitched loud noises trigger Layla to
attack.  Who knows why, she can't tell me, but it makes sense that her
previous owner had trouble with her...what makes more loud high pitched
noise that a couple of young girls?  So now I respect her dislike of these
noises and try to keep things pretty low key around her.  It does reaffirm
my beliefs that some rehabed ferrets are never ready to go back into the
"general population" and will always need a more ferret-wise owner.  I
didn't punish her in any way...why would I, the attacks were my fault.  I
guess Layla has rehabilitated me ;)
 
Janet
[Posted in FML issue 2139]